ISU - IowaProduce.org Newsletter (FREE)

IowaProduce.org has a monthly newsletter focused on Iowa's commercial fruit and vegetable industry. Each newsletter addresses in-season production issues, coming events, and other stories of interest. Sign Up Here Today!

ISU - IowaProduce.org Newsletter (FREE)

IowaProduce.org has a monthly newsletter focused on Iowa's commercial fruit and vegetable industry. Each newsletter addresses in-season production issues, coming events, and other stories of interest. Sign Up Here Today!

New Excel Worksheet - Drip Irrigation Calculator (FREE)

Joe Hannan our ISU Extension Commercial Horticulture Specialist in Central Iowa created a Microsoft Excel worksheet file that automatically calculates gallons of water to apply and run times for drip irrigation. Just download, enter a few variables, and you are set. This tool can be used for any crop! NOTE: You may need to add the (.xlsx) extension to the file name in order for your computer to recognize the file type.

Hot off the press - New USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Maps

The USDA has released a new 2012 Plant Hardiness Zone map of the U.S. This new map is based on updated newer and wider based state and regional weather data that occurred from 1976 to 2005. The last USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map came out in 1990 and was composed with data from 1974 to 1986.

The map is divided into different zones based on the average extreme minimum winter temperature for an area, covering 10 degrees Fahrenheit in each zone, according to the USDA website. The zones are then divided into 5-degree half-zones. Overall, most of the zones have become warmer by about 5°F. Example: Des Moines, IA was considered in the 5A zone (-15 to -20°F) in 1990 and today is in the 5B zone (-10 to -15°F).

Since April of 2008 Iowans with pesticide sensitive crops such as organic producers, vineyards, orchards, fruits and vegetables and apiaries have been able to register their locations Online with the Iowa Department of Agriculture. This is a “FREE” service. This directory has been developed to provide pesticide applicators with the locations of crops that are most susceptible to damage from pesticide drift.

The intended crops for inclusion in the registry are vineyards (minimum one acre), orchards (minimum one acre), certified organic crops (minimum one acre), and fruit and vegetable crops (minimum ½ acre). Commercial apiaries (no size limit) are also included in the registry. The crops at each registered location must be intended for commercial use, be susceptible to pesticide drift damage, and meet the minimum acreage requirements.

Producers and beekeepers can register their location information at any time during the year. The commercial beekeeping sites will be erased at the end of each year and must be renewed due to the changing nature of apiary locations. There are several “help” WWW sites that can be used by producers to find and register their GPS location.

The Department has 12” x 18” aluminum field signs that are available for $5 each (minimum order of two signs). Producers can post the signs at the physical location of the pesticide sensitive crop at a height above the crop canopy that will make them visible to both ground and aerial applicators. These signs are only available to sites registered on the Sensitive Crops Directory.

Online Lecture Series from Our Friends in Canada

The Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute, Brock University (CCOVI) Lecture Series returns again this year to share grape and wine knowledge. Open to professionals and the public alike, the research presented in these lectures is a valuable resource for grape growers and winemakers, the findings of which are applied to industry use in Niagara, across Canada and internationally.

This fifth annual lecture series will build off the momentum of previous seasons, giving audiences an opportunity to enhance their grasp of issues facing the industry. The lectures take place Wednesday afternoons, starting Jan. 18 and running to mid-April. All sessions start at 3 p.m. and are FREE.

The lectures will be webcast live on www.brocku.ca/ccovi at the scheduled presentation time. Last year’s series drew web viewers from around North America and as far away as Europe.

Sustainable Farming Principles and the Fine Wine Industry – Ames, IA

Who: Trent Preszler is Chief Executive Officer of Bedell Cellars. Bedell Cellars pursues sustainability in all farming, winemaking, and business practices. They have been making sustainable wine since the company's inception in 1980. After joining Bedell as National Brand Manager, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2006 and became CEO in 2010. Now at age 33, he is one of the youngest winery CEOs in the world and has led Bedell through its important brand, facility, and personnel transformations during Michael Lynne's ownership. An active scholar in addition to running a winery, Trent's writings have been published by Oxford University Press, the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, and the Huffington Post. He is currently on the Board of Directors of WineAmerica and the New York Wine and Grape Foundation. Trent earned degrees in agriculture from Iowa State University, Edinburgh University (U.K.), and Cornell University, where he is now a Ph.D. Candidate in Viticulture.

Cost: No Charge

Did you know?

The grape is the world’s most important fruit crop.

Globally, the vine covers more than 20 million acres, producing some 60 million tons of fruit, 80 percent of which is made into wine. For winemaking purposes at least, the grapevine thrives between 30-50 degrees latitude and is grown on all continents except Antarctica.

Notable Quotables

"My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!” --- Harry Truman (1884 – 1972, 33rd President of the United States)

“the number of wineries in North America continued to grow in 2011. The latest tally by WinesVinesDATA, the research arm of Wines & Vines magazine, identified 7,345 wineries now operating in the United States, up by 450 wineries or 6% from a year ago.”

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.